


Cat's outta the bag.

by peachb0mber



Category: MCSM, Minecraft Story Mode
Genre: Gen, Hybrid AU, MCSM Hybrid AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 11:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7101727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachb0mber/pseuds/peachb0mber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to <a href="http://theprincessjessi.tumblr.com/post/142691576426/aaa-but-imagine-if-instead-of-panicking-and-hiding">this post</a>, I give you The Ocelots discovering their leader is actually one of the things they despise the most.</p><p>Original fic post <a href="http://theprincessjessi.tumblr.com/post/142767209831/thanks-mostly-to-this-post-i-give-you-the-ocelots">here</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cat's outta the bag.

No silence in the history of the world could compare to the hush that’s fallen over the Ocelots.

Beside Maya stands Aiden on the right, and Gill on the left. Across from her is Lukas, ocelot ears flat against his head, tail between his legs and beanie clutched tight in his hand. He’s afraid, that much is obvious, but his posture and the redness in his cheeks means he’s just as angry.

Aiden is furious, she can feel it radiating off of him. His hands are balled into fists, a deep scowl on his face. She looks at him out of the corner of her eye and it makes her stomach flip. She’s never seen him this mad, this betrayed.

Gill seems to be taking the news easier. He’s always been the most laidback of the quartet. His hands are in the pocket of his jacket, face screwed up like he’s in deep thought. His shoulders are slumped, relaxed, and a brief thought flits through Maya’s head as she wonders how he’s handling Lukas’s reveal so well.

Maya herself is tense as a rubber band stretched to its limit, arms crossed over a queasy stomach. Her expression is horrified, eyebrows knit and nose scrunched. She’s on the verge of crying or screaming or throwing up, all a valid reaction that might happen soon if someone doesn’t say something.

“I am over the bullying, Aiden.”

“You-” Aiden begins, voice a low hiss. Movement on his left attracts his attention, and he looks to see Gill walking towards Lukas. He stops in front of him and holds out his fist, other hand still in his jacket pocket. Confusion washes away Lukas’s wariness, but he slowly matches the gesture. They bump fists, and a hesitant smile starts to form on Lukas’s face.

“That took guts, man,” Gill says. “We could learn a thing or two from you.” His hands reach up to his head, pushing down the bush of dark hair to reveal two round, black, furry ears. “Panda,” he shrugs.

Maya gasps, gloved hands coming up to cover her mouth. She can’t say she didn’t have her suspicions, but to have it actually confirmed that Gill’s a hybrid…it still sends her reeling. She doesn’t risk the glance at Aiden, but she knows it’s only worsened his mood.

Lukas, on the other hand, is smiling for real now. “That explains the dark rings around your eyes.”

“And yours explains why you purr sometimes,” Gill retorts jokingly, moving beside Lukas and turning to face Maya and Aiden. His grin falls instantly, hands returning to his pockets. He looks apologetic, but he doesn’t say as much.

“I can’t believe this,”Aiden spits through gritted teeth. He’s started to shake, like a volcano ready to erupt, but his voice is scarily restrained. “Two of my best friends. Monsters.”

Maya cringes at his tone. Her hands remain firmly clamped around her mouth, not trusting herself to speak just yet. She bounces up and down on the balls of her feet, eyes jumping from face to face.

“Aiden-”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it,” Aiden snaps, covering his very human ears with his hands, eyes shut tight, blocking Lukas out. “You’re a liar! Both of you!”

Maya looks helplessly at the boys across from her. Gill looks hurt at being yelled at, though he expected it, and Lukas is looking right back at her. Her heart jumps into her throat and she looks away, back to Aiden, who’s taking several deep breaths.

She touches his shoulder gently. “Aiden, I-”

He jerks away from her. “Let’s go. We don’t need them anyway.” His volume has gone back down, venomous and bitter. He turns his back on Lukas and Gill, looking sideways at Maya. His expression is dark and downright irate. Behind those green eyes, though, Maya can see the distress, the need to flee.

This is going to hurt him so much, more than it already has. But she can’t choose him, not this time. There’s a nasty taste in her mouth. She puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezes once.

“You’re my best friend, Aiden, and I love you. Okay?”

His confusion morphs into realization, another terrible revelation dawning on him. Maya takes a step back, swallows the lump in her throat, and removes her gloves. She holds a hand up to Lukas and Gill, nails sharp and dark and oddly shaped for a “human.” Her other hand is splayed towards Aiden, but her eyes are on Lukas and Gill. She can’t look at Aiden.

“There’s,” she clears her throat, “there’s a tail too.” Her voice is surprisingly stable, despite the internal turmoil she’s currently experiencing. Lukas is beaming at her, Gill’s giving her double thumbs up, but she can’t muster anything in return.

Aiden’s taken several steps back, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. His eyes are on his shoes, breathing labored, shoulders raised and tense. His quiet anger is even more frightening than his aggressive anger.

“I’m sorry,” is all she gets out before Aiden turns ‘round and bolts, ignoring her pleading call of his name. Anger bubbles up in her chest, hot and painful, but there’s nothing to take it out on except the gloves in her hands. She balls them up and chucks them as far as she can, trembling and biting her tongue. She doesn’t taste the blood until a hand on her back draws her back to Earth. The cut on her tongue stings and she curses her too-sharp teeth, looking forlornly at Lukas.

“Hey, you did a good job,” he tells her softly. “I can’t say he’ll come around, but I think you did the right thing.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” she grumbles, kicking halfheartedly at the ground. The anger has already drained out of her, replaced with a heaviness that threatens to physically pull her down. “I’m sorry, Lukas. For every time I’ve ever went along with his stupid ideas and gross words.”

He shakes his head, ruffling her hair. “You don’t have to explain. I forgive you.”

“Will you forgive him?” Gill asks, coming up beside them. He nods in the direction Aiden fled. “Aiden.”

Even under Maya’s watchful, scrutinizing gaze, Lukas shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe. He’ll have to come back first.”

Maya sighs, rubbing her temples. “I’ll try talking to him tomorrow or in a few days. Can I stay at your house, Lukas?”

“Sure.” He hooks an arm around her shoulder, keenly aware of the comfort she needs but won’t ask for. “C’mon, Gill, you too. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

~~~~~~

Aiden isn’t seen for four days, despite several attempts on Maya and Gill’s part to visit him. His house is dark, seemingly abandoned. None of them know where he could have gone, and Maya takes up residence in Lukas’s house in his absence. She doesn’t want to be alone, sickened by the idea, and Gill has too many siblings that would ask too many questions about why Aunt Maya looks so upset. And ceaseless worrying aside, being able to walk around without keeping her tail tucked in or wearing those silly gloves 24/7 is a refreshing change of pace.

Sprawled out on her stomach on the floor of Lukas’s bedroom, Maya sighs into the carpet. She’s back from her latest expedition to Aiden’s house with a conclusion.

“It’s gotta be deserted. There’s not a sign of life anywhere that I can see.” She turns her head, cheek against the carpet, and looks up at Lukas. “Even his star projector globe is turned off. He always has that on when he’s upset.”

“Should we organize a search party?” Lukas is partly joking, but he knows Maya is in the state of mind to take him seriously.

“No…I just hope he’s okay.” She frowns. “I shouldn’t have done that to him. I should have kept my dumb mouth closed and kept up the act.”

“Maya, he was hurting you. Indirectly, yes, but it wasn’t good for you. Or for him, for that matter.” His voice is harsh. “Hybrids exist. We’re people too. He needs to get that into his thick skull.”

Maya whines. “I know.”

An abrupt knock on the door surprises both of them. Maya perks up immediately, eyes on the door. Lukas lazily rolls off of his bed, reluctantly leaving the warmth of the sun the window provided, and opens the door.

“Oh, you are home. Is Maya?” Gill looks over Lukas’s head and Maya is on her feet in a second, crowding into the doorway beside Lukas.

“Yeah, hi, what’s going on?” She’s too hopeful, too expectant, and for once it doesn’t blow up in her face.

Gill steps to the side to reveal a very disheveled Aiden. His arms are crossed over his chest, hair sticking up in every direction. Even without looking directly at them, they can see the bags under his eyes. It’s clear he hasn’t been in a good place the past few days, but Maya’s so excited she almost throws herself at him.

“Aiden!” He flinches, despite the relief and happiness coloring her tone.

“Can I come in?” he asks in a deadpan tone, glancing at them only briefly before his eyes are anywhere else again. Lukas moves aside, and Maya ushers him in. Gill closes the door, and the Ocelots are assembled again.

Aiden paces the living room, chewing on a thumbnail. The trio hesitate by the door, unsure of what to do that won’t send him running again.

Maya moves forward to interrupt his thoughts, but he lets out a frustrated noise and stops moving, stomping his foot.

“Just get it over with, dammit.” Off comes the leather jacket, discarded on the couch. He yanks up the sleeves of the lime green shirt and bares his exposed arms to the others. A chorus of gasps follow suit, and blood rushes to his face.

Patches of glittery green scales litter his arms. A few places were scarred, presumably from forcibly ripping the scales out, but nothing could disguise or remove the fact that he was undeniably a snake hybrid.

“You absolute idiot.” Maya throws her hands in the air with an exasperated sigh. “You couldn’t have just told us?”

If it had been anyone except Aiden, they might have taken her name calling as offensive, but he knows that’s how she shows her affection, so it slides off. He cuts his eyes at her nonetheless, and she’s startled to see slit pupils. “You know it’s not that easy.”

“I do, but jeez, Aiden.”

Lukas steps in, puzzled. “Why did you always act like you did towards hybrids if you were one?”

Aiden sets his jaw, still not completely over the reveal that started the avalanche. “Long story.”

The blonde holds up his hands defensively, placatingly. “We’ve got time, if you want to talk about it.”

“Don’t run away again,” Maya says in her best mom voice.

“Please,” Gill tacks on for her.

Aiden rubs awkwardly at a patch of skin on his wrist, looking back and forth between his friends. With an irritated sigh, he snatches his jacket off the couch and pulls it back on before sitting right where he stood.

“Fine.”

It was a start, and it was all they needed.


End file.
